Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-11-04
John BROWN.

And gaze upon my form with looks benign
When am dead!
JOHN BROWN.
In the August number OF the century
Magazine Messrs. Nicolay and Hay nave
made several errors of omission or com
mission which should be corrected IN
the interest of true history.
These writers say, on page 5l7: "In as
ISOLATION, habit, language, and conduct
he was clean, but coarse; honest, but
rude" Two circumstances, however,
indicate that he was practicng decep-
ton upon the committees and the puDllc'
He entered into contract with black
smith in Collinsville, Conn, to manu-
facture for him | 1000 pixies of certain
pattern to be completed in ninety ays,
and paid 500 Oh the contract. There
is no record that he mentioned this mat
ter to any committee. His proposed
Kansas minute men were only 100 in
number, and the pixies could not be for
them. His explanation TO the black
smith that they would be good weapon
of defence for Kansas settlers was
clearly subterfuge. These pixies, or
dered about March %, 1857, were with
out doubt intended for his Virginia IN
vaslnn, and, in fact, the Identical lot,
finished after long delay, under the
same contract, were shipped to hlm III
September, 1859, and were actually used
in the Harper's Ferry attempt The
other circumstance is that about the
time of his contract for the pixies he also
without the knowledge of committees or
friends engaged a worthless adventurer
named Forbes to 90 West aud give mill
tary instructions to his company-a
measure neither useful nor practicable
for Kansas defence. These two act9
may be taken as the first preparation for
Harper's Ferry. These are constructive
lies. But John Brown made use OF
many others in his preparation for the
Virginia raid, which were in no way
doubtful or equivOcal.
|. He came to me in Worcester to So
licit contribution OF arms for the de-
fence of some Kansas settlements, which
he said he knew were soon TO be at
tackled by parties already organized in
Missouri for that purpose. Not doubt
ing his word | gave him all the arms
had, in value about $500.
2. Under the same false pretence he
secured another contribution from
Ethan Allen & Co., manufacturers of
arms in this city. These arms also
were never taken TO Kansas, but were
captured at Harper's Ferry.
3. Before his attack upon the United
States Arsenal hs spent several weeks
in Virginia. lie pretended to be a
mineralogist, and went about with
hammer breaking off the corners of
rocks. Under the pretext Of seeking
for copper he found opportunities for
irving to enlist slaves in his little rebel
lion. The Representative in Congress
from the Harper's Ferry district gave
me these facts.
4. Under the same false pretense of
aiding the settlers in Kansas he pro-
cured funds from several New York
merchants, one of whom says that he
gave him $50.
3. In 1865 he made raid into Mis-
souri,, murdered Mr.. Crews, a peaceable
ole farmer, and took away eleven slaves,
with about 81, 900 worth Of oxen, mules,
wagons. harness, saddles, and other
property. As soon as he had got outside
of the State he sent agents in all direc-
tiUns 10 solicit aid TO get the eleven
negroes to Canada. He was from De
cember to April getting them through.
This slow movement was doubtless for
the purpose of prolOnging as much as
possible the time for his agents to pro
cure funds. His plumber and his col
lections went, probably, to increase his
Harper's Ferry fund.
6. He often asserted that in the above
raid he liberated several slaves without
bloodshed aud without the use of wea-
pons. 1t is proved that Mr.. Crews was
killed in that raid.
: He repeatedly said that he was not
present at the 2ottavatomie midnight
massacre. 1t is proved that he was
present as commander of the assassins.
S. Re repeatedly affirmed that he took
no part in those murders, though he
approved of them. 1t is proved that the
first uUarmad victim, Mr.. Doyle, was
killed by Browns own hand. There is
abundant other proof that in all his
murders and robberies, whether in
Kansas, Missouri, or Virginia, his creed
was that 1.-THE eud justifies the means"
and that lying in his case was 2 holy
vocation. Does the expression ''honest
but rude" truthfully describe John
Brown?
AT that time 1850 was serving my
second term in Congress and had every
opportunity TO know the minds Of fnen-
bers regarding John Browns raid.
There was not one member OF the House
of Representatives who considered his